I've been Slimed!

Confidence games are constantly being played on tourists. Since there are newly arrived people that the same trick can be tried on again and again. Travelers can quickly lose everything- money, passports and clothing as these thieves are completely remorseless.

There is often a gimmick or trick to distract or lure tourists in. This also doesn't have to be overly elaborate or clever.While each scam changes they generally follow recognizable patterns.

A young Australian had lost her purse grabbed when it was between her legs at a crowded plaza in Venice. She was in a restaurant watching a local buy a plate of overpriced fries who quickly left. A fountain of pigeons pounced on the fries amusing everyone. Meanwhile the purse snatcher walked behind her and grabbed the purse running away so that she never even saw him. A child stooge also blocked her from following. This woman was one among hundreds but was made out by her predators because she was felt to be the easiest target.

Other travelers report having dropped their bags when someone throws a plastic baby at them. One friend of mine was wary to that trick but was fooled by a woman in Greece showing her baby. The baby was real but held by a complicated sling that resembled her arms freeing the thief to artfully pickpocket. Ironically thieves are alerted to where your valuables are after you just give them a handout!

It is always wise to keep most of your money not immediately accessible like a money belt and have just some of money in a front pocket.

One Winnipegger I met in Costa Rica told me how his gold necklace had been wretched off his neck at a downtown McDonalds.

He gave chase and locals helped identify the culprit who was held until the tourist police came. They searched for the necklace but found nothing until the police checked his mouth but finding nothing forced the man to vomit up the retained jewelry! This is disturbing since both sides are willing to go to extremes.

While walking down a nice neighborhood in Valaparaiso, Chile I felt a strange glob on my neck and scalp after a man quickly passed me .I smelled a very foul odor and realized something like fish oil was sprayed all over my back and head. At first I thought someone had spit on me or dropped something but there were no balconies or windows.

A surprisingly over friendly man started to approach me with outstretched hands offering me a handful of tissues.” Free range” outdoor bathroom attendants are as rare in Chile as they are here so I quickly moved away from him towards a nearby hotel making sure I was in clear view of the front staff.

On seeing someone else help me he left.

I was more vulnerable to this pickpocket since the visceral anger of being fouled tends to make the victim easy to pickpocket.

Variations of this trick involve spilling an ordinary food or drink and having an accomplice play the good Samaritan offering to clean you up while padding you down.

Travelers will always be easy pickings for bands of thieves whom like carnivores scan the herd for the weakest victim. Having a buddy nearby more than doubles your protection.